15세기 법석(法席) 설행과 독송용 불서의 간행 = The Practice of Beopseok (法席) and the Publication of Recitation Buddhist Scriptures in 15th Century

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study examines the transformation of Buddhist ritual in the 15th century, focusing on the practice of beopseok (法席) and the publication of recitation scriptures, from both practical and textual perspectives. While previous research has largely emphasized the abolition and discontinuity of Buddhist rituals under the backdrop of the Joseon dynasty’s anti-Buddhist policies, this paper seeks to analyze how 15th-century Buddhist rituals partially inherited the traditions of the Goryeo period while being gradually adjusted in accordance with state policies.
In particular, although beopseok held significant importance in 15th-century Buddhist rituals alongside the Suryukjae (水陸齋), few studies have systematically analyzed its purposes and transformations by typology. This paper classifies the beopseok conducted in the 15th century into two categories－“sojae beopseok (消災 法席)” and “cheondo beopseok (薦度 法席)”－and examines their respective purposes, patterns of change, and processes of abolition based on entries from the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty (Joseon wangjo sillok). sojae beopseok, which were rituals aimed at countering calamities, were concentrated during the reigns of King Taejo and King Jeongjong, but were effectively abolished following the royal decree to suppress Buddhist rites in the second year of King Jeongjong’s reign (1400). In contrast, cheondo beopseok were frequently performed in connection with state funerals in the form of chilchiljae (七七齋), but after King Sejong’s prohibition, they persisted only in limited and unofficial forms.
This study also examines the publication patterns of recitation scriptures closely connected with the practice of cheondo beopseok. The Myobeop yeonhwagyeong sammae chanbeop (妙法蓮華經三昧懺法) and the Hwaeomgyeong sammae chanbeop (華嚴經三昧懺法) were reprinted from late Goryeo editions and continued to be used in beopseok during the 15th century. Meanwhile, the Yukgyeong hapbu (六經合部) was published intensively after the abolition of cheondo beopseok in the second year of King Sejong’s reign (1420). Although no direct evidence proves a causal relationship between the abolition of cheondo beopseok and the subsequent publication of the Yukgyeong hapbu, the continuity and interrelation between these two phenomena carry significant implications for understanding the relationship between Buddhist rituals and the publication of scriptures.